NEW YORK, May 1 — Baseball players agreed to a two-year experiment Thursday to give home-field advantage in the World Series to the league that wins the All-Star game.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/908083.asp

hsnterprize

05-02-2003, 08:19 AM

but I still think it's pretty stupid. I can understand why MLB would want to do something like this, but leave it up to baseball to make something so simple so complicated. The simple concept of giving the team with the better regular season record the home field advantage in the World Series is so above those bureaucratic heads that it's just plain unbelieveable. I know Mark Giangreco gets ripped a lot on this site, but in this case I agree with his commentary on this idea..."it's stupid."

If MLB wants to make the All-Star Game more interesting, then I think there's a lot more they should do to make baseball more marketable as a whole. We're not living in the days when there's not that much to do outside the house anymore. Depending on what city you live in, there's way more to do with your entertainment dollar than going to a baseball game...especially when we're in an economy like this, and a lot of people simply can't afford to watch a game as often as they used to. MLB has to make the effort to not only make the game more attractive for this generation, but for generations to come. There's just too many options for kids and adults out there. Baseball, as much as I love the game, just doesn't have the passion it had generations ago. Not to mention, we're all aware of the high amounts of money that are in baseball nowadays. With such things as strike threats, high ticket prices, and skyboxes popping up like weeds...no wonder so many people are turned off to the game.

Here are a couple of ideas. First of all, STOP STARTING THE ALL-STAR GAME/WORLD SERIES GAMES SO LATE AT NIGHT!!!!!! Playing high-progile games like that after kids go to bed won't exactly draw them to the game. Of course, there are plenty of kids who like baseball, and that's great. However, when you start an All-Star Game at 8 or 9 PM, how are kids supposed to stay up and watch the whole game? When a World Series game starts late because of a super-long pre-game show, how do you expects kids, let alone adults, to stick with it all? Can't the networks improve their own ratings plight be scheduling games like that EARLIER in the day?

Secondly, mix the popularity of modern players with the legends of the past. Do you remember at last year's game (or the year before...I'm not 100% sure) the poll revealing the top moments in baseball history? Many, if not all the top 10 moments fans voted on were very recent events, such as Cal Ripken's streak in 1995 and the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998. Believe it or not, the top ten list of those "Memorable Moments" do have a good mix of recent and classic events, but did the Ripken streak deserve to be #1? That's a subjective argument, but it's a good example that MLB should continue to build upon...teach fans about the greats of generations past like Ruth, Gehrig, Aaron, and others included with the modern-day stars like Sosa, A-Rod, and Maggs. Relating today's stars with those who paved the way will continue to bridge the "generation gap" amongst baseball fans.

That's my take on this whole thing. Sorry about the rambling, but I think that MLB is doing in this case is just plain stupid.

Procol Harum

05-02-2003, 11:27 AM

Why is that anyone connected with the game of baseball in any sort of capacity that can actually impact its administration and/or image seems to the IQ of a doorstop? Another incredibly wrong-headed move.

:tool

"Another one of my brainstorms has come to pass. I wonder if I can convince the MLBPA to make players begin to wear kilts so we can increase our fan base among Gaelic-speakers in the Scottish highlands?"